Acoustical panel assembly

ABSTRACT

ACOUSTICAL PANELS CARRY EXT*NSIONS OR JOINERS AT EACH OF TWO OPPOSITE SIDES WHICH ARE SPACED FROM THE MAIN BODY OF THE PANEL AND EXTEND ALTERNATELY DOWNWARD AND UPWARD, SAID SPACES PROVIDING RECEIVING RECESSES OPEN AT THE TOP AND BOTTOM RESPECTIVELY, THAT JOINERS OF THE NEAREST ADJACENT PANEL ENTER. AT CORNERS OF THE ASSEMBLY SEPARATE RIGHT ANGLES JOINERS EXTEND INTO RECESSES EACH PANEL PROVIDES THEREBY CONNECTING THE CORNER PANELS.

Sept. 28, 1971 A. ECKEL. E TAL 3,608,260

ACOUSTICAL PANEL ASSEMBLY Y I Filed may 21, 1969 United States Patent 3,608,260 ACOUSTICAL PANEL ASSEMBLY Alan Eckel, Carlisle, and Oliver C. Eckel, Weston, Mass., assignors to Eckel Industries, Inc., Cambridge, Mass. Filed May 21, 1969, Ser. No. 826,351 Int. Cl. E04b 1/348, 2/08 U.S. Cl. 52-284 1 Claim ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE Acoustical panels carry extensions or joiners at each of two opposite sides which are spaced from the main body of the panel and extend alternately downward and upward, said spaces providing receiving recesses open at the top and bottom respectively, that joiners of the nearest adjacent panel enter. At corners of the assembly separate right angle joiners extend into recesses each panel provides thereby connecting the corner panels.

The principal object of our invention is to provide joining means that are relatively inexpensive and make installation of panels to form an acoustical room, including corners, easily and quickly done.

The foregoing and other objects which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, may be accomplished by a construction, combination and arrangement of parts such as is disclosed by the drawing. The nature of the invention is such as to render it susceptible to various changes and modiiications, and therefore, we are not to be limited to the construction disclosed by the drawing nor to the particular parts described in the specification; but are entitled to all such changes therefrom as fall within the scope of our invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. l is a sectional view of an acoustical panel assembly formed of acoustical panels interconnected.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view showing a pair of acoustical panels in sideto-side relationship and interconnected.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary, sectional view showing a pair of acoustical panels interconnected at a corner of an assembly.

FIG. 4 is a perspective sectional view showing a capping member for a panel assembly, a panel being indicated by broken lines.

As illustrated, an acoustical panel has an outer twopiece body 12 usually of metal containing a sound absorbing material 14 such as fibrous glass. Integral with and extending in spaced relationship as at 18 from the main part of a said body outwardly is a joiner or tongue 16 extending downwardly. Also extending in spaced relationship ice as at 22 from the main part of a laterally adjoining body 12 is an upwardly extending joiner or tongue 20. Said tongues 16 and 20 extend into said spaces 22 and 18 respectively. At the ends of said tongues 16 and 20 and the ends of said adjoining bodies 12 are gaskets 28 to make the assembly tight at this point.

At the corners of my panel assembly an angular connector 26 preferably defining a right angle, is used to join a panel 10a that is similar to said panel 10, as shown in said FIG. 4. This panel 10a has a body 12a from which a joiner or tongue 16a extends laterally, being spaced as at 22a from the main part of said body 12a. One member of said angular connector 26 extends into said space 22a and the other member extends into said space 18 thus connecting two panels 10 and 10a at a corner.

At the top of my acoustical panel assembly is a capping member 30 formed of an S-shaped member 32 and having an angular member 34 welded as at 36 to said member 32. This provides a channel cap to extend over the top of a panel assembly, and also an integral, upstanding back member 32a is provided as shown, which gives the assembly a finished appearance.

What I claim is:

1. An assembly of acoustical panels comprising a first panel extending horizontally having a body and a vertically extending tongue extending beyond and spaced from the edge of said body, and another panel extending vertically at a corner having a body and a tongue extending laterally beyond and spaced from said latter body, a separate angular connector, one angular portion of which extends into said latter space and another angular portion of which extends into a said vertical space provided by said rst panel whereby said first panel and said other panel are connected, a gasket between said second panel and an end of the first-mentioned angular portion, and another gasket between said irst panel and an end of said other angular portion, said first-mentioned angular portion being spaced vertically from said other panel to thereby provide a sealant space.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,268,707 6/ 1918 Gehnrich 52--275 2,876,275 3/ 1959 Schulz 52-588 3,264,649 8/1966 White 52--578 3,332,190 7/1967 Ekstrom 52-496 3,405,492' 10/ 1968 Koller 52-586 FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner J. L. RIDGILL, JR., Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 52-403, 588 

